One of Two Thousand
by Dreamflight4798
Summary: Lamanites have come into the Land of Jershon. The Nephites have protected them for a long time, but the people of Ammon want to help. 2000 young men will take to the battlefield, led by Helaman. Kamei has a brother and friend who aren't afraid to fight, but she is afraid for them. This is a test of Faith in God.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not intend for there to be any disrespect to the persons who were actually involved with this. I wanted to try and capture the faith that the 2000 young warriors displayed when they marched to war.**

**Please read and enjoy.**

**NOTE: None of these names are real. The places, situation, and more than 2001 of the characters are.**

* * *

Kamei laughed as she ran, her long brown hair flying behind her. The stolen sandals clutched tight in her hands.

"Give those back! This isn't funny!"

A tall young man with thick black hair chased after her. Kamei ran all the harder, weaving through the crowded marketplace.

"I have you!" the young man declared, seizing her around the waist.

"Let me go, Eder!" Kamei cried. Eder laughed and took back the kidnapped sandals.

"Stop taking my shoes! I have to work, and the roads aren't smooth!"

"Come on Eder," Kamei sighed dramatically. "You're no fun."

Eder smiled and tweaked her nose. He turned and left, re-shouldering his bag of builder tools. Kamei controlled her giggles and began to head for home, at the edge of the city. As she walked, she could hear the conversations of the people she passed.

"The Lamanites are becoming violent again."

"Another war? Were we truly that foolish?"

"The Nephite Army has come to the land of Jershon. There's tension at the borders between us and the Lamanites."

Kamei didn't remember the time when the people of Ammon had been one with the Lamanites. Her Father had covenented that he would never go to war again the year of her birth. That same year, when she was newly born, the people of Ammon had fled the land of the Lamanites. They now lived in Jershon, where the Nephites protected them.

At the edge of the City of Ammon, Kamei's house stood, simple, but comforting. She joined her mother in spinning thread on the grass. Several of the women began to talk about recent events. Kamei was content to focus on her task silently.

The grass behind her crunched. Two hands grabbed Kamei around the middle, and she shrieked, suddenly finding herself in the air.

"Samuel!"

Her older brother laughed. He gently set her back down on the grass.

"I thought you were out in the fields with Father," Kamei said, fixing her hair. Samuel laughed.

"I am taking a rest. It is only time for planting. The weeds haven't gotten into the tilled earth yet."

"Then perhaps I shall speed up their journey."

"Enough you two," their Mother interrupted. "Samuel, go back to the fields. Kamei, help me with midday meal."

Samuel embraced Kamei and ran to join their Father. In no time, Kamei was happily slicing herbs and fruit. With no warning, a commotion began outside the house. Mother went outside to see what the matter was.

"Helaman has come to Ammon! He has news for the city! Come quickly!"

Kamei and her Mother raced to the city. The crowd was astonishingly large: Kamei could barely see the muscular white-skinned man, Helaman.

A hush fell over the people as Helaman mounted a platform. He looked over the multitude and said in a loud, clear voice:

"Anti-Nephi-Lehis! The Lamanites have entered the land of Jershon."


	2. Chapter 2

Kamei silently ate her dinner, worried at the unusual silence. Helaman's word had sunk in deep, and the whole city had been tense, strained. Samuel regarded the whole situation with unusual seriousness, and her father was unusually upset.

Kamei looked at her younger brother, who was barely thirteen years old. He ate his food with a large amount of energy that was absent from the rest of the family.

"Mori, that's disgusting," Kamei complained. Mori stopped stuffing his mouth full of fruit and mae an ugly face at her. Their parents-absorbed in a silent conversation-did not notice. Kamei didn't eat for the rest of the meal; she couldn't find it in her to make the seemingly herculean effort.

That night, alone in her room, she listened to her parents worried whispers.

"Omnis, I'm afriad for the Nephites. The Lamanites are so powerful."

"Don't be afraid, Lolthi. God will keep us safe. My only wish is we could help."

"Can't we?"

"We covenanted with God that we would never fight again. Not even to defend ourselves."

Kamei heard her mother start to sob. She imagined her Father embracing her to try and ease her fear and pain. Kamei laid down in bed, then folded her arms, closed her eyes, and whispered a prayer. A prayer that all would be well.


	3. Chapter 3

Eder couldn't focus. Not on his breakfast, not on walking, and definitely not on working. His hand throbbed where he'd banged it on the doorframe of his house. He ignored it.

Helaman's words kept repeating in his mind: The Lamanites had entered the land of Jershon.

He knew Kamei was worried: she'd barely been able to wave at him she was so lost in thought. He wanted to tell her it would be okay, wanted to embrace her and comfort her. But it was impossible. He too was afraid.

Eder's friend, Leshon, was more distracted than usual as well. He-like many of the young men in the city of Ammon-still remembered what the Lamanites had done to their people, the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, before God had instructed Ammon to bring them to Jershon. Eder had lost a father and sister to the massacres.

"Hey, look!" Another young worker called. "Something's happening! Down in the city center! It looks like an argument!"

Eder ran to the city center, all the workers behind him. Wading through the large crowd that had gathered there, he found one of the men-a ruler of the city-standing on a platform.

"We must protect out land! We must help our brethren the Nephites!" he cried to the tumultuous mass of people. "Even if it should mean the end of our covenant with God."

"No!"

Eder turned and saw Helaman himself mounting the platform. The crowd became quiet to hear what he would say.

"To break the promise you made with God is not worth assisting the Nephites! Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, do you not remember the blessings you have been given? I fear that if you break the covenant, your very souls may be lost to the depths of fire and torment!"

"Then what would you have us do?" the city ruler asked. "Shall we stand by and see out brothers slaughtered?"

"I will fight."

Eder was surprised as anyone to hear those words leave his mouth. His logic took effect a moment later, enraged at his foolish outburst. But he meant it.

"Who saith such a thing?" Helaman asked. Eder rose his arm and stepped forward.

"I say. I hath not taken the oath of my father to fight no more. I will join the battle for our freedom."

"As will I," Leshon declared. And then another young man said the same. And another. Before long, every able-bodied young man who hadn't made the covenant had volunteered to fight. Two thousand in all.


	4. Chapter 4

Kamei watched the drills Helaman Put the Two Thousand through. Some were striking upright logs with swords, others worked with bows on an open field. But Kamei only had eyes for Eder, who was learning to handle a spear.

A week ago, Kamei would have joked about "Eder the leader" but now, with the concept of battle hanging over the 2000's heads...

Bad enough that her childhood friend was among the 2000, but her own brother? It was almost too much to bear. She had been sure that Helaman would have told Samuel no-he was only seventeen, young compared to the others who were mostly nineteen and older-but that hadn't been the case. Mori had tried to volunteer, but he was thirteen; a child.

Helaman halted the training, and called the young men in. Kamei couldn't bear to watch any longer. She ran home.

*.*

Eder panted slightly, sweat running down his face from exertion. The training drills were intense, making even the most fit of their number collapse panting to the ground. Only Helaman wasn't drenched in sweat, despite all the drills he'd run them through individually.

"If we are to be a unified army," Helaman was saying, "then we must train together, work together, and pray together. We must also name ourselves."

"Why do we need a name?" someone in the back asked. "Other than for identification."

"The name _is_ identification. It will tell all that we meet who we are. What we stand for."

"Then why don't we call ourselves 'The Two Thousand Young Warriors'?"

The laughs that passed through the circle died when Helaman did not appear amused. Rather, he thought about it with a surprising amount of actual consideration. The whole group was surprised. Helaman then asked if it was alright if they had a variant name-something else they could be called. No one came forth outright to answer. Then Samuel, Kamei's elder brother, stepped out of the crowd.

"We could be called the Sons of Helaman," he suggested. "We are brothers in arms after all. Helaman is our mentor, guide, leader...and father."

The other 1998 young soldiers talked about it and liked it. Helaman agreed.

"Come then, my little sons," Helamn called. "Let us return to battle training."

"Yes our father!" The two thousand young warriors cried.


End file.
